On 17 October, a platform initiated by Eurocadres (Council of European Professional and Managerial Staff) calling for an EU-wide whistleblower protection was launched by the first 48 signatories of a joint statement, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ). The EFJ is encouraging individuals and organisations to sign the petition. At a press conference at the Brussels Press Club , representatives of Eurocadres, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), Transparency International and the EFJ all emphasised the importance of joining forces on this crucial issue.

Following the debate before the summer of the trade secrets directive and the LuxLeaks trial, the lack of protection of whistleblowers at EU-level has come into sharp focus. Whistleblowers often risk ending up paying a high price for disclosing information. Yet whistleblowing can be essential in bringing to light – for example – illegal activities, corruption, activities which are contrary to public interest and threats to public health and safety.

The European Parliament is mainly in favor of a European legislation on whistleblowers. Greens MEP Benedek Javor is strongly supporting the action: “This is not a campaign for whistleblowers, it is a campaign for us, for the public”, he said during the press conference. The S&D is organising a conference on EU action for whistleblower protection on 20.October. But the European Commission is still looking for the appropriate legal basis on which to base such EU action.

EFJ director Renate Schroeder made the connection between whistleblower protection and press freedom and said that this issue goes hand in hand with the protection of journalistic sources: “We are proud of the recent leaks, LuxLeaks and the Panama Papers, because it showed the importance of investigative journalism and cross border cooperation, and they were only possible with the active role of whistleblowers.” She also referred to a study on whistleblowing protection laws at EU level by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) showing that very few countries already have specific whistleblowing legislation.

A video message of LuxLeaks whistleblower Antoine Deltour, sued by the Luxembourg court for disclosing information on tax rulings, was broadcasted. “It is important to have a protection at the EU level because the interpretation of the EU public interest can vary from a country to another”, he said.

The press conference was live streamed on Twitter. In case you missed it, you can watch it on Periscope.

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The report examines the rise of fraudulent news, defined here as demonstrably false information that is being presented as a factual news report with the intention to deceive the public, and the related erosion of public faith in traditional journalism. The report identifies proposed solutions at the intersection of technology, journalism, and civil society to empower news consumers with better skills and tools to help them process the torrents of information they see online.

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In 2014 Cambodian journalists increasingly found themselves in the news, as reporters faced injury and even death for covering the news. 2014 proved the deadliest year for Cambodian journalists since the political turmoil of 1997, with two Cambodian journalists confirmed murdered in relation to their work and a third, foreign journalist found dead under suspicious circumstances.

While media freedom in Spain remains robust and certainly comparable to its European neighbours, at such a critical moment for the Spanish public there is a need to ensure maximum access to the free flow of information.

As the United Nations reflects on the future of global development and the post-2015 agenda, access to information must be recognised as critical to supporting governments to achieve development goals, and enabling citizens to make informed decisions to improve their own lives. IFLA, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, believes that libraries help guarantee that access.

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions 9 October 2014

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